Joan Mir Set to Leave Honda for Gresini Ducati Move

Joan Mir will officially leave Honda HRC at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season after his management began searching for a new project for the former MotoGP world champion.

The confirmation came directly from Mir’s manager Paco Sanchez, who revealed that the lack of progress in contract discussions with Honda pushed the Spaniard toward making the decision during the Jerez weekend.

“Given the lack of news from HRC regarding his future, Joan decided in Jerez to leave Honda at the end of the year and asked me to look for a good project for him,” Sanchez told Crash.net.

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Mir had previously been linked to a potential move to Trackhouse Racing, where he could have reunited with former Suzuki team boss Davide Brivio. However, that scenario appears increasingly unlikely amid reports linking Brivio with a senior management role at Honda from next season.

According to The-Race.com, Mir has now emerged as a serious candidate for a switch to Gresini Racing, which is expected to lose both of its current riders at the end of the season.

If completed, the move could reunite Mir with crew chief Frankie Carchedi, the engineer who guided him to the 2020 MotoGP title during their Suzuki partnership. Carchedi has since built a strong reputation at Gresini working with Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marc Marquez, and Fermin Aldeguer.

The transfer situation is also closely connected to the wider MotoGP rider market changes ahead of the new 850cc era beginning in 2027. Aldeguer is expected to move to VR46 Racing Team, while Alex Marquez is increasingly linked with KTM’s factory project.

Mir joined Honda following Suzuki’s withdrawal from MotoGP at the end of 2022. Since then, the 28-year-old has endured a difficult period due to the RC213V’s lack of competitiveness and several heavy crashes across the last two seasons.

Despite the struggles, Mir began showing improved form last season after securing Honda’s first post-Marc Marquez era podiums at Motegi and Sepang. During the 2026 season, his raw pace has also remained evident despite multiple incidents affecting his final results.

At Austin, Mir qualified fifth before crashing during the Sprint while chasing Pedro Acosta. Last weekend at Le Mans, he finished sixth in the Sprint before crashing from the same position in the Grand Prix.

Sanchez confirmed negotiations with a new team remain ongoing and no final agreement has yet been signed. However, one thing has already been decided — Mir will no longer ride for Honda from the 2027 MotoGP season onward.

Source: Crash.net and The-Race.com.